New Orleans, LA vs Baton Rouge, LA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Baton Rouge, LA spends 33% more per resident than New Orleans, LA: $43,886 against $32,984. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Baton Rouge, LA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 52/100 (grade C) for New Orleans, LA — a 23-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Baton Rouge, LA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while New Orleans, LA carries $2,288 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: New Orleans, LA leads with fire protection at $1,044 per resident, while Baton Rouge, LA leads with health at $2,058.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 18% of total revenue in New Orleans, LA and 9% in Baton Rouge, LA.
Summary
Baton Rouge spends 24.8% more per capita than New Orleans ($10,902/person difference). Baton Rouge, LA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $62 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $327 | $488 |
| Income Tax | $993 | $2,296 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,013 | $949 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,241 | $0 |
| Other | $5,501 | $7,610 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,820 |
| Fire Protection | $1,044 | $1,140 |
| Highways & Roads | $271 | $589 |
| Education | $951 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,197 | $2,691 |
| Health | $507 | $2,058 |
| Hospitals | $5,002 | $4,729 |
| Parks & Recreation | $966 | $758 |
| Housing | $4,479 | $7,045 |
| Sewerage | $161 | $236 |
| Utilities | $4,300 | $2,413 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,735 |
| General Admin | $1,865 | $4,492 |
| Other | $12,243 | $14,181 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.